The story of a cook

Chapter 125
Rose Hotel, Hangolubing, and barbecue restaurants are all on Taishan Road, separated by a traffic post, Rose Hotel is east of the traffic post, and further ahead is Beiling Park.The hanging oven cake and barbecue shop is on the west side of the traffic post. These two shops face each other, one is on the south side of the street and the other is on the north side.

Every day when I go to and from get off work, I pass by the Rose Hotel. When I pass by, I naturally look inside. After all, I have worked here for nearly two years and I have feelings for it.

The four-door freezer in the Rose Hotel is not working well, and the couple who rented the hotel asked me to go and have a look.

Since I left the Rose Hotel, I never went in except on the opening day, and sometimes I just chatted with Sister Zhang, who was doing the dishes outside.

When I came to the kitchen and took a look, I couldn't believe that this was a kitchen I had done before.It's very messy inside, not only messy but also dirty.Raw materials are placed on the case randomly, potatoes are piled on the ground, green onions are pressed on the potatoes, and some of the green onions are rotten.The white tiles on the stove wall have also turned into yellow tiles, and it is estimated that they have not been wiped since they were opened.The chef and the cutting board in the kitchen were not in the kitchen, they were all drinking water and chatting in the backyard of the kitchen. No one came to ask me what I did when I came in.Sister Zhang came out of the dishwashing room, and I was surprised to see it.

Sister Zhang asked me, "Tan Zi, why are you here?"

I said: "Your boss said that the four-door freezer is not working well, so he asked me to come and have a look."

Sister Zhang said: "No matter what these things are in his family, the head chef doesn't care about them, and it won't work for several days."

I smiled and said, "Just come and have a look."

When I came to the four-door freezer, I touched the outer wall with my hands. It was a little hot. When I opened the door of the freezer, the situation inside could be described as horrible.There is everything in it, and everything is placed randomly. All the raw materials are not packed in crisper boxes, and they are all packed in plastic bags and stuffed in the freezer.When I just opened the door of the freezer, a bag of things fell out. When I picked it up, it seemed to be ribs.Xin said that no one cares about it, the raw materials are placed indiscriminately, as long as they are put in the freezer, it will be over. If it is a side dish, it will be troublesome to find the raw materials, and it will take a long time to search in the freezer to find them.

To see if a kitchen is well-managed, you just need to open the freezer to see. In a managed kitchen, all the raw materials are neatly placed in crisper boxes. As long as you remember which fresh-keeping box is the raw material, take out the safety box, take the raw material out of the fresh-keeping box and use it directly, and put the remaining raw materials into the fresh-keeping box and put it in the original position of the freezer when it is used up, forever It will not feel messy, and at the same time it will not cause waste of raw materials.An unmanaged kitchen is like the kitchen of the Rose Hotel now. All raw materials are packed in plastic bags and then put in the freezer. .When opening the freezer, put your stomach on the door of the freezer first, otherwise the ingredients inside will fall to the ground.

Look at the inner wall of the freezer. There is still frost on the inner wall, which means that the freezer is still cooling, but the effect is not good.

At this time, the male owner of the restaurant came over, and I nodded at him.

Take a stool and put it in front of the freezer, stand on the stool, and prepare to see what happens to the compressor and radiator on the freezer.Once the refrigeration effect of the freezer is not good, most of the reasons are that the compressor is out of order and there is a lack of fluorine inside.Otherwise, the radiator will not dissipate heat, and the cooling effect will not be good.

I stood on the stool and looked, my good guy, the radiator was covered by a convenient bag, and it couldn't dissipate the heat at all. The buzzing of the cooling fan didn't help, and it would probably burn the click after two days of turning it on.Judging from this situation, it should be that the people in the kitchen took things out of the convenience bag, and threw the convenience bag away after taking the things, and happened to throw it on the radiator, and then left it alone, causing the heat to dissipate, and the freezer began to fail. It works.Take off the convenience bag on the radiator, and the radiator immediately blows out a gust of hot air, which is a bit uncomfortable and very hot on the face.It is estimated that if it is taken down a few days later, the cooling fan will be suffocated.

The radiator was working fine and the freezer was back to normal after half an hour.

From the time I entered the kitchen to repair the freezer until I came out of the kitchen, whether it was the chef or the cutting board, everyone went over to take a look. It seemed that the freezer was broken and had nothing to do with them. If you want to repair it, you can fix it if you don’t. If you don’t, you can’t fix it. Just use it, it has nothing to do with them if the raw materials are broken.Seeing the working state of the kitchen, I couldn't help shaking my head—their family didn't work long, and if they worked long, they would have to pay for it.

The male boss handed over a cigarette, took it and lit it, and I asked him, "How is business now?"

He said: "It's not very good, it doesn't make money."

I asked: "I see that the two chefs in the kitchen look like Sichuanese. Are they serving Sichuan cuisine?"

He said, "Yes, Sichuan cuisine."

I said, "Sichuan food is pretty good, but it's not suitable for this place. People on this street go to the Bashu restaurant in front if they want to eat Sichuan food. No matter how good the Sichuan food is, they don't go there." Then I said, "In addition, Rose The restaurant is an old restaurant for more than ten years. The people nearby know that Rose Restaurant serves old dishes, and the people who come to eat are old-fashioned. You are not used to the whole Sichuan cuisine. At that time, if you used the name of the restaurant It would be nice to change it, and it would be better to change it to a Sichuan restaurant.”

He said: "I didn't think about this at the time. I just thought that Sichuan cuisine is quite popular. It shouldn't be a problem. Who would have thought that it would be the same as what you said. The guests who came to dinner would look for old dishes from the past. When they saw the recipes, there were no old dishes. It’s Sichuan cuisine, and they’re not used to it, so they won’t come again after a meal.”

I said: "You and your wife have to make a good calculation and see how it is done. My suggestion is just a suggestion. Keep a Sichuan cuisine master, and then find a veteran chef, and put the old dishes on the table. It should be better. Otherwise, your hotel will lose money."

He said: "Yes, it is necessary to change it, and if you don't change it, you will lose money."

Say hello to Sister Zhang and come back from the Rose Hotel.

It's a pity that the Rose Hotel asked the couple to do this. It's a good restaurant, let them do it to pieces.The kitchen is almost unattended, and a lot of raw materials are broken in a day, so it is not a waste of raw materials to earn some money.The kitchen is like this, it is estimated that the front desk management is not much better.

It seems that wanting to open a restaurant and being able to open a restaurant are two different things.Those who have never opened a restaurant want to open a restaurant, first of all they have to study and study, and they can only spend money to buy lessons like this, even if they pay the tuition.It doesn’t matter if you haven’t opened a restaurant before, it’s okay to find someone who understands restaurant management to manage it. Don’t think that you have a high IQ and think that opening a restaurant is nothing. Others can open it and you can open it yourself.In fact, the investigation is far away. After years of hard work and hard work, people have made the restaurant prosperous. Only those who have experienced the hardships will know. If you have not experienced it, what you see is only superficial phenomena. Think You can do it if other people do it. If you don’t open it, you know that the money in the restaurant is not so easy to earn, and you have to work hard for everything.

I want to chat with this couple, think about it, I still don’t chat, I don’t have the ability to turn things around, and what we say may not be acceptable to them, if they just follow their own way, thinking that Sichuan cuisine can be popular, you won’t The method is to chatter for nothing.I hope they can slowly learn how to open restaurants and make money. After all, no one's money comes from strong winds, but from hard work. It is best not to lose money.

When I was about to hang the oven cakes, I saw Sister Jin coming out of the shopping mall opposite. She saw me and called me, so I stopped.

Sister Jin came over and asked me: "What are you doing without rest at noon?"

I said, "Go out to do some errands, what did you buy? Miss Jin."

Sister Jin said: "I didn't buy anything, I just went in and went shopping."

I said, "You're really good. It's a scorching hot day. It's justifiable for me to go out to do errands. You are really energetic. You don't go to the mall without sleeping, and you don't buy anything."

Sister Jin said: "It's hot outside, but the air conditioner in the mall doesn't heat it up, so it's pretty cool."

I said, "It's cool and boring."

Sister Jin said: "I can't sleep lying on the stool in the store, so I might as well go out for a stroll. I don't think you go to bed at noon."

I said, "I don't have the habit of taking a nap in the afternoon. I don't sleep all the time. If I take a nap at noon, I won't be able to fall asleep at night."

Sister Jin said: "That's not good, it's better to take a nap at noon, it's good for your health."

I said: "Listen to you, start sleeping tomorrow."

Sister Jin said: "If you can't sleep in the store, go to their men's dormitory, there is room there."

I said, "Let's see, we'll talk about it tomorrow."

Back to the kebab shop.

During the lunch break, there were no customers in the store, and the waiter on duty was sleeping on the table.I found someone who wanted to rest on the table for a while and check the time. It was time to go to work in half an hour.Thinking about resting for half an hour, I couldn't go anywhere, so I went directly to the kitchen and started to sauce the pig's trotters and pig's ears.

After a while, Sister Jin came in with two pieces of ice cream and said to me, "Master Tan, here you go, cool off."

Handed me a piece, I took it and said, "Thank you."

Sister Jin said: "You are too polite, you don't have to do this with me, am I not your partner?"

Just as I was about to open my mouth to eat, I froze there.

Sister Jin smiled and said, "Why, I'm scared, I'm just kidding."

"Hehe, hehe," I laughed dryly and said, "Sister Jin, you really scared me."

Sister Jin said: "Seeing how powerful you are, I'm afraid. If I'm really your object, what will you do?"

I said: "Let's not make such a joke, this joke is cooler than ice cream."

Sister Jin asked me a little seriously: "I ask you, Master Tan, if I really want to make friends with you, will you do it?"

I said: "It's not good to date, but it's okay to make friends. Besides, we are friends from the beginning."

Sister Jin looked a little disappointed and asked, "Do you think I'm older than you and I've been married before."

I said, "Sister Jin, let's not talk about this, please talk about something else."

Sister Jin said: "Look, it scares you. If you don't date you, you just make friends. You are a very nice person."

I said: "You are not bad, you are so beautiful that many men will like you."

Sister Jin smiled, she was very beautiful when she smiled, I was a little lost in the moment she smiled.

Sister Jin said mischievously, "Master Tan, why do you think I want to find a Han man?"

I said, "Again—"

Sister Jin smiled and said, "I'm your partner, and we still live together. I didn't say that. You said it yourself. You have to be responsible."

I looked at her carefully, and said to her seriously: "Believe it or not, I will resign tomorrow."

Sister Jin was stunned immediately, she stood there and looked at me stupidly, I turned around and began to clean the stove.

I didn’t go to the cashier for the whole meal in the evening. Normally, I would go to the cashier to help Sister Jin pay for the meat for a while. I didn’t go today. I wanted to keep a little distance from Sister Jin and Sister Ma. Yes, after all, they are single women, it's not good to get too close to them.I am 25, Sister Jin is 32, and Sister Ma is [-]. There is not much difference in age. It is better to stay together less.

Before getting off work in the evening, the old lady came to see me and sat down with her at the front table.

I asked, "Auntie, what's the matter?"

The old lady said: "As you know, the cold noodle shop opposite our house sells cold noodles and mixed vegetables. It is also an old shop on this street, and the business has always been good."

I nodded in approval.

The old lady went on to say, "As soon as our barbecue restaurant opens, the business there will also be affected."

I said, "That's for sure, and your old lady is the same. The two stores can't be opened far away, and they have to be opened on the same street."

The old lady said: "You don't know, the storefront of the old store is a one-story house built by the residents themselves in front of the building. They are all illegally built houses. They will have to be demolished sooner or later. It is estimated that it will only take a year or two. At that time, they will have to find a place to open the store. If there is a market house nearby, it will be sold first, and it will be done first, and there will be a shop here after the relocation, so it will save you looking for a house."

I said, "Auntie, you are amazing, and this has all been planned in advance."

I have to admire the old lady's foresight.

The old lady said: "What's the plan? Your uncle and I are getting older and don't want to open a store too far away from home. Besides, our store is an old store on this street. Everyone agrees that there are many repeat customers. Come If you work elsewhere, you have to start all over again, and you may not be able to make money. In addition, it is also close to home, and it is easy to walk for a few minutes.”

I said, "Yes, you are still thoughtful."

The old lady smiled and said, "I want to discuss something with you."

I said, "Auntie, tell me, why don't you discuss it?"

The old lady said: "The Korean stir-fry, pig's trotters, and pig's ears that you fried are all recognized by customers, and they are all sold well. I think they can also be served at the cold noodle shop opposite, and customers who eat at the old shop can also eat them. Now that we have too many guests on our side, we can also go to the opposite side to eat, which will save our customers from leaving, and there are no customers on the other side, how do you think?"

I said: "Okay, it's very good. Auntie, do you think that I might disagree with the fact that the opposite side also serves fried vegetables and pickles? It's okay, I agree. Even if you cook two more dishes, you won't be tired. The hooves and pig’s ears are all made from a pot of sauce, even if you add a little amount, it’s not too much trouble, on the other hand, I’m fine.”

The old lady was very happy to hear me say that, she patted me and said: "The chef I hired is just good, and I don't need to talk nonsense about anything."

After talking with the old lady, I went back to the kitchen to check the coal, water and electricity. It was safe, so I changed my clothes and went to the front to have a working meal.

As soon as I sat down at the table, Sister Ma called me aside and asked me, "What's wrong, Mr. Tan? I heard you're resigning?"

Just as I was about to speak, Sister Wang also came over, looked at me seriously, and said, "Master Tan, I want to chat with you."

Seeing Sister Ma and Sister Wang coming one after the other, I remembered what I said to Sister Jin in the afternoon that I would quit my job, and I just finished talking with the old lady about the fried vegetables and pickles in the old shop. They didn't know that I was talking to the old lady What, I thought the old lady and I were talking about my resignation, so they all came to see me.From their point of view, if I really resign, it will have something to do with Sister Jin. When the old lady asks, they won’t be able to tell. After all, I did a good job in the barbecue restaurant. Pig ears with sauce are still a special dish, and the dried barbecue ingredients have been improved, and the appetizers are still very popular. If I leave, it will be a loss for the barbecue shop. They want to ask if I really resigned. If he really resigned, he would explode into a thunderous rage against Sister Jin.

I looked at Sister Wang, then at Sister Ma, but I didn't see Sister Jin, so I asked Sister Wang, "What are you talking about?"

Sister Wang took off the apron around her neck and said, "Don't chat here, wait for me for a while, let's drink some wine and chat while drinking."

I said, "Farewell, Miss Wang. If you have anything to say, just talk about it, and I won't drink the wine."

Sister Wang said: "What's wrong? You don't want to drink with me, but you can drink with Jin Zi and your sister Ma, but not with me?"

I said: "Where did you go, Miss Wang, I have to go home, stop drinking, just tell me if you have anything to do."

Sister Wang said: "Tell you, wait for me for a while, don't leave." Then she said to Sister Ma: "Little Ma, watch him, let's go out together."

After talking, go back to the kitchen to change clothes.

It seemed that I couldn't go anymore, so I stood there and waited for a while, at this time I saw Sister Jin looking at me at the bar, I looked towards her, and she quickly avoided.I laughed, thinking that she must have thought that I had resigned with the old lady because of the afternoon.

I have to resign sooner or later. I told the old lady about it. If there is a suitable cooking job outside, I will go out to cook. The old lady understands.

After waiting for a while, Sister Wang came out, and the three of us, Sister Wang and Sister Ma, went to a newly opened kebab restaurant opposite.

I ordered a few skewers, ordered beer, and sat down to taste the skewers.

Sister Wang asked me: "Master Tan, do you want to resign?"

I said, "I have that idea."

Sister Wang asked: "Auntie came over just now, did you tell her about resignation?"

I said, "No."

Sister Ma said: "Tell the truth, don't lie."

I said, "I didn't lie to you. I just told my aunt about the fried vegetables and pickled vegetables in the old store. My aunt wants to serve fried vegetables and pickled vegetables in the old store."

Sister Wang didn't believe it, and asked, "Did you say that?"

I said, "Yes, that's all."

Sister Wang said, "I thought you told her about resignation."

I asked: "You are looking forward to my resignation so much, I don't think I offended you?"

Sister Ma said angrily, "It would be wrong for us to expect you to resign. We don't want you to resign."

I said: "Really? I didn't see it. I chatted with my aunt alone for a while and you started looking for me. I thought you really wanted me to leave early."

Sister Wang knew I was joking, so she patted me and said, "You're going to scare Jin Zi to death, she thought you were talking about resignation with your aunt over there."

I said nonchalantly: "What is she afraid of when I resign, and it's not because of her resignation."

Sister Ma asked a little bit aggrievedly: "What did you talk to Jin Jin this afternoon?"

I said, "I didn't say anything, just chatted for a few days."

Sister Ma said: "I haven't said anything yet, you said to Jin Zi, 'Believe it or not, I will resign tomorrow,' right? Did you say that?"

I said, "I said it. She didn't tell you the premise. The premise is that she is not allowed to say that she is my partner."

Sister Ma laughed and said, "Isn't Jin Jin joking with you?"

I said: "It's not good to make a joke. I have to make a joke. If I take it seriously, I will break the law if I have feelings for her. That is bigamy. China has not yet allowed two wives to marry."

Sister Wang and Sister Ma laughed.

He said to Sister Wang and Sister Ma: "Actually, I have to leave sooner or later to go out to cook. Our restaurant is not bad, but I am a chef, so I have to go to a Chinese restaurant to cook. I can't cook a few dishes on this day. It's useless."

Sister Wang said: "Yes, we can also see that you won't stay here for long, and sooner or later you have to go to a Chinese restaurant to cook." She looked at me and then said, "You are so good at cooking, you can't always stay in a barbecue restaurant .”

I said: "I have learned a lot from you here, which is also very good. You are good to me. You don't need me to wash the work clothes, and you also clean up the stove for me. Sometimes you even buy me a drink. To be honest A little reluctant to leave."

Sister Ma said: "Then you don't leave, why don't you do it here? Doesn't the old shop serve cooking? Asking your aunt to raise your wages is no less than if you go out to cook."

I said: "It has nothing to do with how much money you have. The main reason is that cooking in Chinese restaurants is my specialty. I am too slow to improve here, and sometimes I can't perform well. Maybe I can earn less than this in other places." , but if you can cook, you can also learn something, right?"

Sister Wang said: "Yes, it's not good for you to develop here. You still have to work in Chinese restaurants, especially big restaurants. But I guess it's not easy for you to leave."

I asked: "Why?"

(End of this chapter)